Le Chat Blanc
by Kayka
Summary: An egotistical cat, a bedraggled princess, and the right of succession to the throne. Utter crack? Nope, just your standard fairytale fodder with Sesshoumaru and Kagome at the helm. SessKag AU Fairytale-verse. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Into the Woods

**Disclaimer:** The amount of 'nothing' I own is painful sometimes. Inuyasha is one of those things.

**A/N:** So, I started to write this, oh, a year ago, but I never made it past the first few paragraphs. Anyway, this is intended to be the back story to my own fan art, "The White Cat," which can be found on either Dokuga or Deviantart. It and this story are based on the fairytale "La Chatte Blanche" by Madame d'Aulnoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Into the Woods**

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><p>Once upon a time, there was a king who had three sons. Old, senile, and a strong believer in poetic imagery, he often forgot that his youngest son was not a son at all. Said youngest not-son was currently embroiled in well-mannered dissention with her siblings.<p>

Unluckily for the king, his unruly brood soon turned to him to settle the matter. Unluckily for them, he simply stared at them blankly.

Always one to take charge when the situation demanded it, Kagome, for that was the name of the fair, youngest Prince…ess, decreed, "Papa Totosai, you _have_ to have an heir."

Leaning forward and peering intently at his youngest, King Totosai queried, "Who are you, again?"

Kagome was interrupted before she could impatiently remind the king that she was his one and only darling daughter.

"The old man's senile as hell. I don't even know what we're doing here; we all know that the eldest is next in the line of succession. Just as it's always been," Bankotsu forged.

"Puh-lease! You'd have us at war with the demon kingdom within a fortnight!"

As the most level headed of the three, Miroku stepped between his siblings to mediate before the situation could come to blows.

"Dear brother and darling sister, surely you must acknowledge that our noble kingdom should be ruled by one fair and just with a knack for reading a situation and responding appropriately."

At their dubious nods of acknowledgement, Miroku continued; hand over his heart and looking every bit the earnest statesman ready to negotiate, "All qualities that I believe would make me an excellent candidate."

At this point, it should be clarified that Miroku was typically the most level headed and impartial, except when it came to something he and his siblings likewise desired.

Before degenerate squabbling could break out in earnest, the king finally intervened.

"I want a puppy!"

While such an exclamation was not entirely unusual, it was not a truly effective way to broker an argument. In fact the three looked at him as if he were quite mad.

Gathering himself in his most kingly manner, he clarified.

"Whomsoever brings me back the prettiest, smallest dog shall have my throne."

"A dog?" Miroku inquired.

"Yup," King Totosai said, with a pop to the 'p' that seemed to linger as his children mulled over this development.

"Why?" Bankotsu demanded, "You can get any dog you damned well please without having _us_ run all over the kingdom looking for it."

"Consider think of it as a test of your fortitude. Besides, something has to keep me company after you whippersnappers rob me of my throne, cart me off to one of the summer palaces, and never visit or write."

The three young royals had the grace to look abashed by his comment. Perhaps the king was not as far gone as Bankotsu had previously intimated.

"Papa Totosai, we would never!" Kagome ardently declared while her siblings murmured similarly.

Waving away their comments, he spurred them into action.

"You've got exactly a year from today. Get crackin'!"

And with that, the Princes and Princess were dismissed.

* * *

><p>For a time, the three nobles traveled together, until they reached a path that forked three ways.<p>

"Ah, an intervention by fate!"

Kagome snorted.

"Miroku, we've been this way a thousand times before. We all knew the road splits here. In fact, that was the whole reason we set out this way. It's also the point where we should meet up after our journey."

They dismounted their steeds and bade both their horses and entourage goodbye. They had been informed, as they set out on their quest, of an additional stipulation: each must undertake the trials and tribulations of the road alone and without the comforts normally afforded to those in their position.

Despite circumstances which by default pitted their interests against each other, both Bankotsu and Miroku had been concerned for Kagome's safety on her own. She felt this was truly touching in an overbearing elder-brother kind of way.

"I'll be perfectly fine," Kagome assured with all the confidence of one naïve to the dangers of the world. "I have my sword, and you both know that I'm pretty handy with it. Anyway, I can get a big dog to keep me company on the road or something."

Having both been at the pointy end of said sword more times than masculine pride allowed them to admit, her brothers reluctantly agreed and they began to sort out which direction each would travel.

For some reason, Kagome felt an inclination toward the right hand path, thus she announced, "Okay, guys I'm going left. See you next year!"

True to his competitive nature, Bankotsu shot in front of her. "Yeah, right. Oldest gets to pick first. I've got dibs on left!" And with that, he was off down the path before either of his siblings could contradict his choice.

"You know that path terminates in the Endless Swamps of Madness and Unimaginable Horror, right?"

Kagome could not successfully stifle her giggle.

"Oh, he'll be fine. It's not our fault that he's never paid attention before on our travels. He might even learn something about strategy."

Miroku momentarily shared in her amusement, for Bankotsu was indeed the teensiest bit brash. Soon enough, the moment passed and it was time to part company.

"If you do not mind too terribly, dear sister, I shall take the road ahead."

The center path was the logical choice of course, as it wound through a number of larger villages where finding the perfect pup should be an easy feat. Kagome did not want to appear to give in so easily, however, since it would make Miroku suspicious of her ready agreement to take the road which led to notably fewer of their kingdom's villages.

"All right," Kagome nodded, "There's nothing saying that I can't double back later. At least with the right path I'll find a village before nightfall."

They parted ways amiably, and Kagome set forth on the path that would one way or another carry her to destiny. It was the easiest thing she had done all day.

* * *

><p>Kagome had reached the end of her set course, and dejectedly came to the conclusion that she would have to turn around. It would seem that her inclination toward the right path that very first day had been for naught.<p>

She had been searching for months, and while she did have her small pack of lovely little dogs plodding after her, none seemed quite the perfect fit. Kagome could not help but think that her brothers would find even more beautiful, smaller dogs and quash any hopes she may have of becoming heir to their father's throne. This thought spurred her on.

Kagome's thoughts wandered as she backtracked down the road she had been following for the two months previous. She did not like to think of herself as dainty, but this quest granted her a new appreciation for the creature comforts her life typically afforded. Horses and carriages were at the top of this list, followed closely by the frilly, frivolous gowns she had given up for the sake of ease in traveling. After all, trudging along the muddy roads in late spring was difficult enough without the added hassle of ten pounds of satin and lace.

It was not a bad journey, however. Kagome was able to meet new people and listen to concerns regarding the kingdom, as well as monetarily aid those in need. Though it did not pertain to the task at hand, it was deeply gratifying to make a difference in people's lives.

The princess was pulled from her musings as the luxurious heat of the midday sun gave way to inky clouds. She futilely increased her speed, well aware that the closest village was still a day's walk at best.

It was as the first clap of thunder rumbled through the forest that Kagome came upon a road she had never noticed before on her travels. The trail was not overgrown as such, but the shadowy overhang of the canopy carried an air of mystery that made her spine tingle in anticipation.

There was no way that she could make it to the village she knew before the coming storm, but it was not inconceivable that this new path might lead her to a small outpost in which she could take shelter for the night. After all, she was not overly familiar with this part of her father's territory. Decision made, Kagome nodded to her canine retinue.

"All right, boys and girls! Let's find that outpost and avoid the smell of wet dog!"

With a deep breath to steel sudden nerves, Kagome stepped off the well-trodden path and into the dark.


	2. Hey, Diddle, Diddle

**A/N:** This totally would have been done sooner had I not been so artsy this past week. I regret nothing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Hey, Diddle, Diddle**

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><p>It was a dark and stormy night, or something like that. Kagome battled her way through the ever-thickening underbrush, taking personal offence to both the pelting rain and the diminishing trail before her.<p>

Having given up hope of remaining dry that night, the young Princess stubbornly pressed forward.

"This can't be a road to nowhere," she reasoned to both herself and the forlorn, bedraggled creatures trailing after her. "Every road leads somewhere, and we're going to find out where this one ends."

It was several hours later when the small, roughly hewn path suddenly gave way to a properly cobblestoned road. Finding a fourth wind, for her second and third winds would have rightfully been hours previous, Kagome hurried along, elated that she would soon reach her prophesized outpost.

The castle that greeted her instead caused her no small amount of incredulous bewilderment.

It glowed eerily in the moonless, rainy night. While staring in wonder, Kagome belatedly realized that she had been inexorably drawn through its open gates. She soon found herself beholden to two massive doors and one mildly formidable leonine brass knocker.

Seeing no obvious warnings such as 'abandon all hope ye who enter here,' and with a suddenly desperate desire to be warm and dry, Kagome took the next logical step: she knocked.

It was several moments later when one of the doors swung back of its own accord. No one greeted her on the other side. Taking for granted that an open door was permission enough for entrance, she intruded warily with one hand upon her sword and four sopping masses of fur crowded at her heels. Her tentative hello received no answer.

Compelled to venture fully inside by the radiating warmth of torches in the grand entranceway, she began to explore. The torches lining the walls lit at her approach and then extinguished after her sufficient passing. A prickling awareness at the base of her skull informed Kagome that she was being keenly observed, though she could not pinpoint the location of her watcher. It was disconcerting to say the least.

Soon enough, the lit torches brought her to an exquisite dining room, complete with ready-made feast. Approaching the table, she was only mildly surprised to find the food still hot. She had the fleeting notion that it had been prepared specifically for her, but that was preposterous. She did, however, indulge in sitting down. Surely the lord or lady of the castle would be along soon for their late evening meal.

Four pairs of eyes turned to her in silent begging. She internally acknowledged that it had been quite some time since any of them had a decent meal, and dangling a meal of such grand proportion in front of her companions seemed incredibly unjust. A tiny paw on her knee was enough to break her resolve.

"Okay, but just one bite each until we meet whoever owns this place." As she was doling out their paltry allotments, the dogs' ears perked. Moments later they began to whine and cower closer to Kagome.

Nonplussed by their curious reactions to nothing she could see, the young woman started to resume her task when she was interrupted by a deep baritone.

"While such selflessness is utterly _heartwarming_, you need not worry about feeding the pups. They will be well attended."

She spun around in her seat, mouth already spewing apologies.

"I'm so sorry! There was the rain, and we got kind of lost and then we found this place and-" She focused on the entity before her. Sturdy and broad-chested, not to mention its sheer size- it was large, far larger than any she had ever seen, easily knee height on all fours. Its thick, silvery coat gleamed in the chandelier-light, and as it stared at her with its luminous amber eyes she noticed a perfectly shaped crescent marking its brow.

"And you're a cat. A talking cat."

The cat disdainfully cocked his head to one side.

"Is it a human propensity to state the obvious, or a skill specifically attributable to you?"

Kagome became indignant by the implication that she was a dull girl.

"I just- you took me by surprise," she huffed. "We merely seek an audience with your master."

In utter defiance of feline physiology, the cat snorted.

"This one has no master, girl."

"It's Kagome. Princess Kagome, actually. And I need to speak with the lord of this castle to seek shelter for the night."

The cat ignored her in favor of making some truly odd growlish noises in the general direction of her canine companions, all of which had calmed and were soon tottering away.

"What did you do? Guys! Guys come back! Come! Sit! Heel! Agh!"

"This one is not in the habit of repeating himself, but he will make an exception due to your lacking attention span. The pups shall be attended, and _you_ shall eat."

But the still sopping princess was already scurrying after her wayward pack. Suddenly, she pitched forward, landing none-to-gently on her hands and knees with an indignant _mgmnph_. A glance behind her revealed the perpetrator unabashedly sitting on the hem of her dress and examining his claws.

While rearranging herself to a sitting position, she denied her first inclination to shriek obscenities. Kagome reminded herself that a princess was a lady at _all times_, in _all places_, and in _all positions_. Though, she thought bitterly, the person to come up with that adage had probably never been felled by a mere house-cat.

Her effort to regain composure was spoiled by the timely _sqzzrt_ of an empty stomach. Kagome could feel the smugness radiating off the creature behind her. Never before had she such a desire to throttle a poor unsuspecting animal.

"If you will kindly remove yourself from my dress," she said through clenched teeth, "I will gladly consent to your offer of dinner."

The cat remained stationary for a period of time, as if to remind her that her 'freedom' would only be awarded by his grace. After a sufficient time had passed by cat standards, he strode past her to the head of the table, leaping with disgusting elegance to sit on the chair there.

It was not odd behavior for a cat to maintain that everything he saw was his, but Kagome did wonder at this cat's propensity to expect her to bend to its whim. Perhaps it was a trait common to all cats, which was now only evident to her in the presence of one that could talk.

Once properly arranged at the dining table, Kagome practiced her best manners by continuing to wait for the arrival of the master of the castle. Her feline companion, on the other hand, held no such reserve in the 'hey, maybe you should wait for your host to arrive before downing all his food' department.

After a few minutes of dreadfully uncomfortable silence in which the cat ate and Kagome stared at the food longingly, she could stand it no longer.

"Erm, does the master of the castle know of my arrival?"

Prior to this question, Kagome had not known it was possible for a cat to roll its eyes.

If nothing else, this little adventure was doing wonders for her knowledge of anthropomorphic cats. Talking cats were definitely unusual, but perhaps the infuriating creature was a demon? Being a moderately sheltered princess, she had never been afforded the opportunity to meet a demon in person. If he _were_ a demon, Kagome was mildly disappointed. She had always thought they would be bigger.

Pushing these thought aside, she tried again.

"All right then, let's assume he or she does know of my arrival. Do you know if I will be afforded refuge for the night?"

Feline lips twitched into an annoyingly enigmatic smirk. In his own time, he deigned to answer, "You will be directed to your chambers after dinner. By the by, the aforementioned dinner is growing quite cold."

Kagome took this as the cue that whoever owned this castle would not be joining them tonight and finally tucked in. Soon after she began, the cat finished. To be fair, he did have an incredibly generous head start. The cat hopping up onto the table and settling himself squarely in front of her was merely another oddity in a night filled with oddities.

"This one expects that you shall fully regale him with the purpose of your journey at breakfast during the hour after dawn. Do not be late."

Before he could make a grand and dramatic exit, something clicked in Kagome's brain.

"Wait, who _are_ you, exactly?"

He turned back, regarding her momentarily, perhaps in concurrence with her own line of thought that this was a question she ought to have asked much sooner in their acquaintanceship.

"This one is Sesshoumaru, Lord of these lands." And with that, he slunk away into the shadows.


	3. To the Land Where

**A/N: **Have I ever mentioned that I can be a terribly awful procrastinator that will open a document, stare at it, type a sentence, save, close the document, and repeat for approximately a month? If it makes you feel any better, my procrastinating on this rendered me unable to finish _anything else_ artistic and/or fun either. I seem to have lost my muchness. But I digress. Here's the next chapter. Cheers.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**To the Land Where**

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><p>And so Kagome slept through night and day, in and out of weeks, and almost over a year. At least, that's how Sesshoumaru would tell it. In fact, it was the very next morning after the princess's auspicious arrival that the lord of the castle sat perched behind her head.<p>

It was an indignity that must be suffered. If only his great and terrible sire could see him, now.

A feline paw flexed, extended forward, and_ poked_.

The sleeping girl batted the paw away.

"Ngnnn… purble hippo… my feather..."

When his two following attempts met much with the same result, Sesshoumaru turned to drastic measures. Kagome found herself startled into consciousness by a prickly, scratchy tongue dragging over the expanse of her forehead.

"Eugyah!"

Huge citrine eyes set in an inverted face came into focus above her, as she blinked blearily.

"_You_ are late."

"Whu?" Kagome queried, intelligently.

Minutes later, Kagome was dressed and stumbling after her host down one of the never-ending corridors. She had not noticed the night previous, but there were murals everywhere. Oddly, they seemed to consist primarily of enormous dogs. Kagome shrugged to herself; she had an obnoxiously large unicorn painting gracing her rooms. Who was she to judge the quixotic whimsy of her feline host?

"So," Kagome ventured, realizing that Lord kitty-cat Sesshoumaru seemed to be the strong silent type and that any conversation would be dependent upon her efforts, "what's for breakfast?"

He did that weird, superior snort thing before responding.

"Breakfast ended hours ago. The meal at hands is luncheon. And you have stories to tell."

And so it was. Kagome had nearly finished recounting her purpose and tales of travel when a pair of disembodied human hands caught her eye.

"_What _is _that_?"

The hands gathered up several empty platters before drifting back into obscurity.

"A servant, naturally. Now come; this one wishes for you to accompany him on this afternoon's hunt."

"Uh, that's really nice and all, but I should probably gather up my dogs and get going."

"Nonsense. The path you traveled was rendered impassable by the storm of yestereve. It would be imprudent to allow you to leave until the way forward is clear."

For some reason, Kagome felt as though he were saying something other than what he actually said.

* * *

><p>The hunt was unlike anything Kagome had expected.<p>

Up to this point, Kagome had thought that the cat-lord's palace was relatively empty; however, this notion was completely shattered by the sheer number of felines in the woodland hunting grounds. Cats of all sizes, shape, and colors ran about hunting mice, play-fighting, and one even seemed to be riding a baboon complete with miniature saddle. It was, in short, gloriously chaotic.

"I thought you said this was a hunt, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"You are correct in asserting that the term _hunt_ is generous in regard to their activities. Though, such is the nature of felines. They will do as they please."

An abrupt roar preempted any further exploration of the topic. The baboon had thrown its rider and was bearing down on one of the kittens, its snapping maw making quick work of its bit and bridle. Kagome had drawn her sword before she could think and slashed the beast across its side.

Furious red eyes turned to her, and suddenly, the princess was dealing with the business end of the baboon. Through thrust and parry she was able to land many blows and ward off its advance, but her efforts seemed to have no effect in actually felling the enraged creature. Something large and flashing dropped from above, and then as suddenly as it began, the skirmish ended. The baboon took a few faltering steps before falling to the ground.

The forest had grown deathly quiet, and Kagome glanced around to see all of the felines seemed to be focused intently on her. No, that wasn't right; they were focused on the beast, and the cat-lord whose fangs were still embedded in its fleshy neck.

Sesshoumaru dislodged himself and regarded Kagome with gleaming interest.

"You are quite adept with a sword, Princess."

"Oh. Well. You know. It sorta comes with the territory of your father thinking that you're a boy for most of your life," she shrugged offhandedly, and then she squinted a bit, leaning forward, "Is it dead?"

"Subdued. This creature was a recent acquisition that should never have been brought to the hunt in the first place."

The sudden scrabbling and scurrying informed Kagome that the lord's court had fled his impending wrath.

"Though, this one must suggest that such large game is more what you had in mind for a hunt, no?"

Kagome grinned. "Well, normally, I'd being going after the game, rather than it coming after me."

"Hn. Come. We must discuss your prize."

"My prize?"

"You saved the life of a member of this one's court, Princess. It is only proper to gift you the means to attain what you desire most."

* * *

><p>Several days after the adventure in the woods, Princess Kagome sat with the cat-lord and turned the object held in her hand.<p>

"It's a walnut," she remarked unimpressed. "Don't get me wrong, it's a really nice walnut, but how will this help me gain my father's favor, when he asked for a dog?"

Sesshoumaru smirked in his enigmatic 'I'm a cat, and I know _everything_.' way.

"Things are not always as they seem, Princess. Bring it to your ear, and _listen_."

Doing so, she had to admit that the growling and yipping emitted from the nut was unmistakably canine.

"The dog is _inside_?"

"Do not release him before reaching your father's court. Collar him once released. It would also be best for you turn in early this eve, if you desire to return in time to claim victory over your siblings."

Kagome's brow furrowed. "That's not right. I still have over two months and a half before I need to be back."

"The date is much later than you think. Perhaps your travels have diminished your capabilities of counting time," he sniffed imperiously, "The date you supplied as the deadline of your challenge is in two days."

Shrugging off his catty attitude, she focused instead on the important bit Sesshoumaru just said. It just was not possible.

"But then, there's no way that I can make it back in time!"

"Under normal circumstances, perhaps, but you must concede that your circumstances are anything but normal."

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><p>The world literally flew past as Kagome sat astride Sesshoumaru's personal steed. A<em> dragon<em>. A _two-headed_ dragon. A two-headed dragon made of _wood_. Logical incongruencies aside, the journey was quite invigorating.

"There, Ah-Un! That's the meeting spot!"

The dragon alighted, allowing Kagome to slide off. Her brothers had yet to arrive, rendering the princess unable to startle them and show off her loaner dragon. Turning back to rue this development with the aforementioned dragon, _she _ended up being the one startled by its sudden non-existence.

Well, that was certainly inconvenient.

Kagome whiled away the hours waiting for her brothers' arrival by examining the walnut. It was easily four sizes larger than any nut had a right to be, yet that was to be expected if there actually was a dog inside. Kagome rather doubted that even the talking cat-lord could appropriate a dog small enough to fit in a normal sized nut.

The nut's resident remained suspiciously quiet throughout her perusal, until she fumbled and nearly dropped it, resulting in a startled yelp and angry yipping. At least there really was _something_ in there, and she had not being hearing things before.

Miroku arrived sometime after Kagome became bored with inspecting the nut, cradling a little ball of fluff under his arm.

He had only just begun needling Kagome as to where her little dog was when they were interrupted.

"This is ridiculous. You're an affront to my masculinity."

And then Bankotsu popped into view, complaining to a decidedly adorable bat-eared dog, which he was holding at eye-level by its scruff.

"Bankotsu! He's just a little thing! Be nice to hi- er, her!"

And thus the three siblings continued their trek home, squabbling all the way.

* * *

><p>Kagome and her brothers were a great deal cleaner and noticeably frillier when they arrived in the throne room hours later.<p>

Standing before their father, there was no small amount of elbowing and bickering before settling on presenting their hard-won offerings in birth order.

King Totosai, having long since fallen asleep while resting his chin on his hand, was jolted awake by his eldest thrusting a little tan dog to his chest.

"Ooh! A puppy!"

Bankotsu stalked back to the others, rolling his eyes. Miroku offered his little ball of fluff more gently and was likewise greeted with enthusiastic cooing over the small creature.

Meanwhile, Kagome pulled out her walnut and cracked it open to find a golden acorn and a band of beads too small to be a bracelet and too large to be a ring.

She huffed, causing her bangs to drift up momentarily_. Very funny, Lord Sesshoumaru_.

Gently chipping open the acorn revealed the loveliest little dog Kagome had ever seen. And it was very, very angry.

Managing the wriggling and adorably growly creature with one hand, she slipped what was apparently meant to be its collar over its head.

The dog stilled, its little aurulent eyes glaring up at her balefully. Sensing its undisguised killing intent, she wasted no time in foisting off her ill-tempered charge.

"This one's my favorite!" King Totosai declared, squishing the dog to his chest and nuzzling its little head.

The small creature vehemently protested this treatment, yipping and mouthing at the king's hands.

"Well, isn't that precious? Think I'll call'er… Fifi!"

'Fifi' stopped what he was doing and looked terribly offended.

"I think it's a boy, Father," Kagome offered, preening ever so slightly over her father's favor.

"Fifi's a good name," the King defended, "It suits her."

Kagome patted the dog consolingly.

"Sorry, pup. I tried."

The king then looked up, regarding his children as if he had just remembered something terribly important.

"Where've you three been, anyway? Didn't even bother to write."

Kagome floundered back with her mouth opening and closing noiselessly.

Bankotsu developed a tic in his right eye.

Miroku hedged, dubiously, "Father, you promised that whoever brought you back the best tiny dog would have your throne."

King Totosai stared wide-eyed and blankly at his children.

"…Did I, really?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Numero Dos:** On a semi-related note, there's new(ish) art for this, which can be found on Dokuga by visiting my profile, or on DeviantArt under the title "The Three Tasks." (Fourth result at the time of writing.) Check it out if you want to know how Sesshoma-kitty and the little dog 'Fifi' look. And Kagome. She's there, too. For the curious, as I didn't explicitly state the breeds above, Bankotsu contributed a Chihuahua, Miroku: a Pomeranian, and Kagome: a Papillon.


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